An abbreviation of Alaya-vijanana. Alaya is a sort of eternal substance or matter， creative and containing all forms; when considered as a whole， it is non-existent， or contains nothing; when considered phenomenal， it fills the universe. It seems to be of the nature of materialism. It is the store or totality of consciousness both absolute and relative. It is described as the fundamental mind-consciousness of conscious beings， which lays hold of all the experience of the individual life， and which stores and holds the germs of all affairs. It is the last of Eighth Consciousness from which them Wisdom of Great Round Mirror is derived.

One of the most common names of the temples in Japan， especially those of Pure Land Buddhism. Amida is the Japanese transcription of the word Amitabha who is the primary Buddha of this school. （Five of the most popular Amida-Ji are:）

（1） The Amida-ji in Suo Prefecture （presently Yamaguchi prefecture）. It is in Mure village， Saha-gun， Yamaguchi of western Japan. Its full name is Keguzan Amidaji. It belongs to the Kogi Shingon-shu （or orthodox Mantrayana school）， the main temple of which is Koyasan. This temple shows a good example of the relation of Buddhism and the state. The temple was founded in 1180 A. D. by Shun-jobo Chogen who was the reconstructor of Daibutsu in Nara. The history of this temple during the middle ages is not quite clear. But in the Kanbun period （ 1661-1673 A.D.）， it was reconstructed just as it is seen now， and converted to the Shingon-shu from the Jodo-shu. （Festival: July 14-15.）

（2） The Amida-ji in Yamashiro Prefecture （presently Kyoto Prefecture）. It is in Kochiya， Atago-gun， Kyoto of central Japan. It was founded by Tanzei in the early l7th century along with the other Amida-jis founded by him in many districts of Japan. Of them this is the largest and most famous; its full name is Isshinki-myoketsujo Komyozan. It belongs to the Jodo sect. This is a very silent and quiet place with many old and big pine trees in its park. Some of these trees are especially famous because of their legends connected with the founder， Tanzei. The 25th of May is the festival day of this temple.

（3） The Amida-ji in Sagami Prefecture （presently Kanagawa Prefecture）. It is in Tonosawa village. Ashigara-gun， Kanagawa Prefecture of eastern Japan. This also was founded （1632 A. C.） by Tanzei and was supported by the count of Sagami. In the park there is the so-called Asoka stupa.

（4） The Amida-ji in Kyoto， viz.， Rendaizan Amida-ji. It belongs to the Jodo sect and was founded in the Tenmon period （15321555.） by Seigyoku. Formerly it was in Omi Prefecture （presently Shiga Prefecture） and transferred here in 1585.

（5） The Amida-ji in Nagato Prefecture. It is in Shimonoseki city， Yamaguchi Prefecture， western Japan. It was built for the delight of the young emperor Antoku， who died in the last battle between the Taira and Minamoto clans. It became popular after Lafcadio Hearn wrote about it. It first belonged to the Tendai sect， but was later converted into Shingon and then into Jodo. After the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism in 1875. The temple was forcibly converted into a Shinto shrine （current name of temple is Akamanomiya）. （Encyclopedia of Buddhism， V. I: p. 430）

<p>"A Japanese work （translated as Encyclopedia of Amitabha Buddha） composed by Zensho Keijo in the l3th century. It is composed of seven fascicles and is a collection of references to Amitabha Buddha and his Pure Land （Sukhavati） found in various Buddhist sutras and sastras. More than two hundred texts are mentioned by name. It is of great value for materials dealing with Pure Land Buddhism." （Encyclopedia of Buddhism， V. I: p.425）

<p>Amitabha is the most commonly used name for the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life. A transhistorical Buddha venerated by all Mahayana schools （T'ien T'ai， Esoteric， Zen ...） and， particularly， Pure Land. Presides over the Western Pure Land （Land of Ultimate Bliss）， where anyone can be reborn through utterly sincere recitation of His name， particularly at the time of death.

Amitabha Buddha at the highest or noumenon level represents the True Mind， the Self-Nature common to the Buddhas and sentient beings -- all-encompassing and all-inclusive. This deeper understanding provides the rationale for the harmonization of Zen and Pure Land， two of the most popular schools of Mahayana Buddhism. See also "Buddha Reatation，" "Mind，" "Pure Land."

Sanskrit word， literally means boundless light and boundless life. He is the Buddha in the Land of Ultimate Bliss （Pure Land）， in which all beings enjoy unbounded happiness. Amitabha has forty-eight great vows to establish and adorn his Pure Land. People also recite or call upon his name by the time of dying will be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss with the reception by Amitabha. Amitabha is one of the most popular and well-known Buddha in China.